How to make a skittish guinea pig comfortable with being picked up?

Oh my, he is so adorable. My advise is be patient. If he has not been handled a lot they are usually very skittish. Keep talking to him and holding him so he gets used to you and your touch. He will come out once he becomes more comfortable in his new surroundings. He should have a good pellet diet with vitamin C, have timothy hay at all times and you can offer him a variety of green leafy vegetables and fruits. The darker green the better like parsley, spinach, etc. He will learn about those yummy treats and they will usually come running to you!! Make sure he is eating and drinking and you are seeing lots of feces. give him time and I think he will learn to trust you and be less skittish.

Hello, and congratulations on your new guinea pigs! Guinea pigs can become very social with humans but it can take some time if they have not had much interactions with humans before. Try to very gradually get them used to you by offering them something tasty such as fresh vegetables, fruits, and commercial treats from your hand. Eventually, they will start to associate your presence with treats, and will be more willing to come out to play. While they are eating a treat from your hand, you can try to gently pet them on the top of their head. Talk to your guinea pigs regularly so they get used to your voice, and ideally put their cage in a room where you are often in, so they get used to your presence as well. They can also learn their names if you use them often enough! Don't try to pick up/hold your guinea pigs until they have some comfort with taking a treat from your hand and putting their front paws on your hand. When you do try to pick them up, hold them snug but not too tight, and always support their bum to avoid falling. I hope this helps! Enjoy your little guys. They are great pets!

The more you interact with your guinea pigs the more comfortable they will become with you. Start by leaving the cage door open (under your supervision of course) and leaving some treats outside the cage. Let them come out on their own so they don't feel threatened. Every time you open the cage or need to handle them give them a special treat, something they love and only get when you are with them. Hold off on doing any baths or anything like that if you can for now. Make every interaction with you a positive one for them. This is called positive reinforcement and they will respond to this tactic more quickly than anything else As you can tell, treats are a big part of training them. So reserve any special food items for when you are there. They will start to associate you with the treats and begins to start trusting you more and more. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

I would start with lots of positive reinforcement with food and treats. Hey hun used to the sound of your voice and presence before handling him. Gradually work up to him being handled and interacting with new people.

This is a common problem with guinea pigs. I would recommend finding a very special treat for Beanie, something she really likes. I would recommend starting to slowly introduce the treat only when you are around and wanting to play with Beanie. It can be a slow process but eventually Beanie will come around. hope that helps

The squeaking is from fear/anxiety. It may help to offer her treats and fruits and vegetables such as apples, blueberries and carrots daily by hand to help gradually relieve her anxiety around you over time/help her associate you with her favorite foods! Also spending time with her out of her cage on the floor with you with and treats/toys may gradually help her relax around you as well (vs being held high up). Good luck!

Continue to give the attention and handle them daily. And offer them treats. Try to find treats that a high in vitamin c since they can't produce their own vitamin c (kiwi, bell peppers, kale, oranges, etc). It will take some time for them to get use to you as changing environments can be stressful. I hope this helps